This invention relates to a martial art kicking apparatus for use by martial artists or anyone wishing to develop a kicking technique and power and to a kick stick removably attached to the apparatus.
Persons in the martial arts, such as Karate, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, and the like, have been for many years trained by hitting or kicking a striking pad, bag, boards or other members. Martial art students try to develop split second reflexes of a physical and mental nature and constantly train themselves to be able to perceive, analyze, and react to a given situation rapidly. Various techniques of developing such reflexes have been widely used. A martial art student can practice with a partner or teacher or can drill to instructions from a teacher. The martial arts have also attracted spectator interest in the United States and other countries in response to a growing awareness of oriental culture. However, training in martial arts has commonly been practiced between two individuals or between a student and an individual or teacher in a training facility.
There have also been a wide variety of training devices, such as breaking board devices and other devices for use in practicing martial arts. One of the most common types of training devices has been striking surfaces of different types. Striking surfaces have included posts buried in the ground, makawari boards, which are boards mounted in a holding fixture and having striking areas which are covered with foam, straw, or the like. Punching bags have commonly been used and are generally hung from above or placed on the floor or suspended between the floor and ceiling. Hand-held striking surfaces are used which allow the target to be moved from place-to-place by a training partner. It has also been suggested to provide striking surfaces which include sensors for measuring the force of the strike. Breaking boards include one or more boards held by a training partner which are broke by a sharp blow with the hand or foot.
My prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,537 is for a martial arts game and to a method of playing a game utilizing martial arts. This game is a full contact sport which brings the martial arts into more of a spectator sport. This martial arts game includes a predetermined playing field marked off in a predetermined manner and having a goal post at each end thereof. The goal posts have a removably attached kick scoring member attached to a predetermined position. The present invention for a martial arts kicking apparatus is ideally suited for using as a goal post in this martial arts game.
Other prior U.S. patents to martial arts training devices can be seen in the Wells U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,679 for a martial arts practice apparatus for improving the skills in the art of kicking or punching a target and includes a target which resists rotation on the shaft but which returns a target to a neutral position. The McCorry U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,941 has an adjustable target holder for martial art training having a horizontally adjustable target holder mounted to a base. In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,029 to Tomko, a martial arts striking machine is provided while the Williams U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,379 has a martial arts practice bag. The Davis U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,185 is an athletic training device. The Tumminia U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,035 is a martial arts training apparatus as is the Bruner U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,433.